He Knew
by Mahine
Summary: Alec knew how he felt for Max........the question is, did she feel the same?


A new day dawned over Seattle. As usual the sky was heavy with dark grey clouds that caused an oppressive feel to the residents of the once vibrating city. The homeless huddled deeper into their boxes and what little wildlife there was in Seattle crawled back to their shelters. Even the rats scurried back to the sewers. The air was heavy and thick with the smell of the storm to come, you could almost feel the vibrating electrical currents that where pulsating through the streets, winding their way through and into everything.

The space needle dominated the skyline and this morning it looked like it loomed over the city, threatening destruction. If you were a normal person you wouldn't have been able to see the lone figure standing atop the needle; you wouldn't have been able to see her hair whipping in the wind and flicking around her face. You wouldn't have been able to see her fold her arms around herself and slowly sink to her knees. And you certainly wouldn't have been able to see the lone tear that slipped quietly from her eye to drip hundreds of feet to the concrete below.

Alec wasn't a normal human though.

Suddenly the sky thundered and the rain began to pour. It was if that one tear had allowed the fat droplets to be released from their prison. Alec slowly started to walk to the space needle. There was no need to rush; he knew that Max had already seen him. When he finally reached the top she was standing again. He carefully moved outside. The rain had made the needle slick under his feet and Transgenic abilities or not, he wouldn't survive if he fell from this height.

"Alec"

Her tone was harsh, but then he was used to that. Things had been going well between them. They had come to respect and almost understand each other. Alec knew better though. He knew every time he looked at her, every time she gave him the pleasure of one of her increasingly rare smiles, he could sense her before she even walked into a room. He Knew.

He didn't say anything as he walked toward her. He didn't say anything as he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in his embrace and he didn't say anything when she turned and curled into him, snaking her arms around his waste and holding on to him as if her life depended on it.

"I'm so sorry Maxie"

There, he said it. The words hung in the air like a fetid smell until she did something truly amazing. She looked up at him with those big brown eyes, drops of rain mingled with tears clinging to her eyelashes and water dripping from her hair to trickle down her face. He had never seen her look more beautiful.

"No Alec, I'm the one who's sorry. I'm sorry I never saw you, I'm sorry I never looked closely enough, I'm sorry for all the horrible hurtful things that I've ever said to you and I'm sorry I didn't realise sooner. I was angry and scared and I lashed out at you because I was confused. I'm not confused anymore Alec. Please... Forgive me?"

He knew because he told her. He told her what he felt. He told her that she was everything to him. They argued. She told him to leave. He left. Six months he had been gone. He came back February 14th. The day wasn't lost on him, he'd learnt what this day meant along time ago. He had come back with the traditional bunch of flowers and a box of candy. He watched as Max's face stared at him, incredulous, he listened as she had shouted another torrent of abuse at him and he felt the door slam as he she ran out the room.

"There's nothing to forgive Max"

She smiled at him. One of her rare, beautiful, perfect smiles. He brushed a lock of rain-dampened hair out of her eyes, scared that it would obscure his view, then she did something else that amazed him.

She kissed him. He was so surprised at first that he couldn't respond. He just stood there, motionless. It didn't take him long however for his brain to catch up. He took her face in his hands and deepened the kiss. Her mouth was warm, a startling contrast to the cold rain that was seeping in to their bones. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip asking for permission, which she immediately granted. She was everything he expected and more, all passion and fire and just pure Max. He felt her run her hands round the back of his neck and stroke his barcode and something in him broke.

He was never going to leave her side again, she was his and he was hers. He could taste the salt from her tears mixing with the rain and vowed never to make her cry again. He would do everything in his power to keep her happy and safe.

All too soon the kiss ended. He bought her close to him and kissed the top of her head just like he did when she told him about Ben. He had known it then too. He just didn't want to admit it.

She turned to look up at him and once again he found himself mesmerized by how beautiful she was.

"Never leave me again Alec... promise me."

"I promise Maxie."

He stroked her face and gently pulled her back into the warmth of his arms.

"Oh and by the way... Happy Valentines day Max"

He grunted as she elbowed him in the ribs.

Now that was his Max.


End file.
